Crik (41 page)

‘Then what is it Jankal?’

‘You are a fine woman Ajenda. I feel honoured to have you with me. You are useful. With a flick of your wrist you command the wagon to move.’ Jankal indicated the wagon with a toss of his head. ‘I don’t have to have horses pull the wagon, so I don’t have to worry about feeding them. By making the trees step from our path, you speed out travel. Make this figurine dance for Jess.’ He handed over the doll.

‘And you can make one fish turn into two, and then four,’ said Ajenda. ‘So that’s it. You don’t think your daughter is of use to you.’

‘Don’t put it so harshly,’ said Jankal, wincing from the raven-haired woman’s words. ‘How will she attract a man without a Talent?’

‘She can cook, and mend your clothes already,’ said Ajenda. ‘And isn’t she beautiful. That would be enough for most men.’

Jankal shook his head. ‘Life out here in the woods is hard. A man needs his wife to be of use. Without a Talent, Jess will only ever be a man’s acquaintance. No one will take her seriously.’

‘Is that how you see me, Jankal?’ asked Ajenda. ‘If I couldn’t move wood, would I have just been your plaything?’

‘You know what will happen,’ said Jankal, ignoring the fire in Ajenda’s eyes.

‘With your tests, you have made our daughter cry again,’ said Ajenda. ‘She’s still young; it’s not unheard of for someone older than Jess to gain their Talent.’

‘It’s my duty as a father to help her discover her gift.’

‘Making her stare at a fish for hours isn’t helping,’ said Ajenda. She snatched the wooden figure from Jankal’s grasp. ‘No wonder she cried out. Having you tell her she isn’t good enough is upsetting her.’

Ajenda placed the wooden figure on the ground. The raven-haired woman stared at the doll, and then with a tilt of her hand she made the doll dance. The doll’s stiff movement accentuated her performance. Pirouetting over the ground, the doll leapt over the leaves. Kicking her heels high into the air, she danced under the wagon to where Jess still cried.

Jack watched as the girl reached out to the dancing figurine. He could see the girl was still clearly distraught, and yet her mother’s present made her smile as the dancer twirled under her outstretched hand. Playing with her new toy, Jess didn’t see the pair of golden eyes slinking closer to her beneath the wagon.

Jack saw the demon. His mouth dried. He knew the demon wanted the little girl. Suddenly he knew the meaning of the writing on the wall beneath the falls. The Giant had marked this spot, knowing Jess would be here. Jess would play host to the demon.

With a rush, Jack bounded to his feet, breaking his cover.

As Jack ran fro
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the hedge, a forest of twig, branch, and logs, rose into the air, causing his steps to falter. Jankal stood in front of Ajenda; he now carried two knives instead of one. Both sets of eyes watched with narrowed suspicion. A snapped twig, with a sharp end, revolved in the air a few inches from Jack’s temple. He had no doubt Ajenda would throw the wood with deadly accuracy if he tried anything rash.

‘Speak quickly, and be careful what you say,’ said Jankal. ‘Who are you, and what do you want?’

Noticing maroon splashes on the faded yellow shirt, increased Jack’s trepidation of the man. Was that blood? He wanted to look toward the wagon to discover how far away from the little girl, Jess, the demon was.

‘There’s something under the wagon with your daughter,’ he said, holding up his hands.

‘It’s her doll,’ said Jankal. ‘I made it for her.’

‘No, not that,’ said Jack. ‘A devil is under the caravan; it wants your daughter.’

‘Jess,’ said Ajenda. ‘Come out here, quickly.’

Managing to wrestle his eyes from the spinning wooden projectile, Jack looked to the wagon. Cloaked in shadow it took him a moment to find the girl and the animated doll. He failed to see the demon.

‘Listen to your mother,’ said Jankal. ‘Come out here where we can see you.’

Jess crawled out between the wagon wheels. Her white dress, stained black and brown, hung on her skinny frame. The muddy bank of the river had also coated her hands and face; tears had left clean streaks down her cheeks.

‘Quickly now,’ said Jankal.

The girl scampered to Ajenda. The wooden doll, with its rickety steps, tried to keep up with Jess.

‘You okay Jess?’

Jess nodded at her mother.

‘What’s the meaning of scaring us like that?’ said Jankal. ‘My girl is fine, there’s nothing under the wagon.’

Still looking under the wagon for the golden eyes, Jack said, ‘The demon that followed me here crept under the wagon. The last time I saw it, it was behind your daughter.’

‘Are you alone?’ asked Jankal, tossing the knife in his left hand.

The bush behind Jack rustled as Bill, with Inara clinging to his back, broke cover. Jack was happy to see that Bill had enough sense not to bring Black with them. As the pair joined them, Ajenda threatened them with more wood.

‘You were spying on me and my family,’ said Jankal.

‘We heard someone crying, and came over to see if someone needed our help,’ said Inara. ‘Is the girl alright?’

‘My daughter’s condition isn’t any of your business,’ said Jankal.

‘You three aren’t travelling folk,’ said Ajenda. ‘Where’re you from?’

‘The village of Crik,’ said Bill. ‘Lost in the woods, we have travelled far.’

‘Seems to me that you’re still lost,’ said Jankal. ‘Your village is a long way from here. I have met a few of your hunters. One stole a deer I had tracked for hours.’

‘You still had the deer,’ said Ajenda. ‘You doubled the carcass so that both you and the hunter had meat.’

‘That’s not my point,’ said Jankal. ‘I had followed the deer through the wood, down deep dells, and across flowing streams. She was mine to kill.’

‘The demon,’ said Jack. Their lack of questions concerning the demon had him wondering whether they had heard him. The demon had crept up on their daughter, and he still couldn’t see where the monstrous grasshopper had gone. Yang still held the ant form it had taken when it played with the demon, thankfully his shadow remained flat against the ground. So far, the travelling troupe hadn’t seen him.

‘If there is a demon here, why’d you bring it to us?’ asked Jankal. ‘You brought danger to my family. For that, I should have my wife stick you with the wood.’

Did the wood by Jack’s head spin faster? He thought so, but he dared not step away from it. ‘We didn’t know you were here,’ he said. ‘We want to travel across the lake.’

‘Why’d you want to cross the Kratch? Nothing lies beyond there; only mountains,’ said Ajenda.

‘You want to get to the Scorn Scar,’ said Jankal.

Despite himself, Jack took a forward step. ‘You know of the Scar?’

‘And of the witch that lives there,’ said Jankal. ‘She consorts with demons. Is that why you travel with one?’

Jack wanted to yell at Jankal, to shake the man in his faded shirt. Why would he put himself at risk to warn Jankal about the demon, if the demon belonged to him? Shaking his head ruffled his nest of sandy hair that had grown unruly as the days passed. ‘We’re going to see Knell, so that she may free me from a demon.’

‘The one you saw under my wagon,’ said Jankal.

‘No,’ said Jack, ‘there’s another I want gone.’

‘You have more than one demon with you?’ asked Ajenda.

Inara, living in a normal house, knew about the Narmacil. A family spending their lives in the wood would surely know of them. Their apparent naivety perplexed him.

Jankal noted his confusion. ‘What aren’t you telling me, boy?’

Jess, without joining with a demon, would never show a Talent, no matter how hard her father pressed her. As that notion registered, he looked to the little girl clinging to her mother’s skirt.

‘Ask your daughter if she can do anything she couldn’t before,’ said Jack. ‘If I’m right, she’ll now be able to show you her Talent.’

‘You spied on us; you know she hasn’t got a Talent. Are you taunting us?’ said Jankal, edging forward with a glower-darkened face.

‘Ask her,’ repeated Jack. ‘If I’m right then she’ll show you her Talent.’

As Jankal turned his attention to his daughter, Jess reached up and pulled on the red sash tied around her mother’s waist. The doll in turn clung to Jess’s leg.

‘It’s alright,’ said Ajenda, smoothing her daughter’s dark hair. ‘The boy is scaring her,’ she said to Jankal.

‘The boy is nothing to be afraid of,’ said Jankal.

‘Ask her to try,’ said Jack. ‘If I’m wrong, I’ll be happier for my mistake.’

‘Don’t try anything,’ said Jankal, waving a knife toward Jack. ‘Jess,’ he said, turning to his daughter. ‘I’m sorry I shouted earlier. I was only trying to help you. Your mother is right, you don’t have the same Talent as me, and you can’t lift the wood and make trees walk like your mother. Something remains hidden within you; you have to coax it out.’ When Jess refused to pull her face from Ajenda’s skirt, Jankal reached out to her. ‘Baby girl, do you feel any different? Is the world speaking to you, guiding you to your own special Talent? Show us Jess.’

The girl shook her head. ‘I tried, I can’t do anything.’

‘Do as your father says,’ said Ajenda. ‘Reach out, and try once more. I promise no one will be angry if nothing happens.’

Looking at Jess’s father, holding his two knives and a scowl, Jack doubted whether Jankal would be happy if his daughter failed to show her Talent.

The wooden figure of the dancer sprang away from Jess’s leg. With her wooden arms upraised, the dancer spun, scattering brown and red leaves as she rushed away from the little girl. Abject horror twisted the dancer’s face as she ran from Jess. What was the little girl doing? Looking up from the doll, Jack saw Jess’s hair rise. Pirouetting, the doll leapt through the air, when her wooden tresses caught alight. Fire spread slowly across the carved face of the dancer, blackening the wood, before spreading, setting the maple dress on fire. Jack stumbled back as the doll danced closer. Spreading her fingers, the dancer tried to catch the rising embers, as though wanting to keep hold of every part that burned away. Blackened legs crumbled under her, toppling her to the ground where she lay twitching as the fire raged.

The parents watched the smouldering remains in shocked silence.

‘I wouldn’t fancy sleeping in that wagon if she can do that,’ whispered Bill.

‘Hush,’ said Inara, smacking Bill’s arm. ‘Unlocking her Talent has terrified her.’

‘Why is she frightened? She started the fire.’

‘It’s all new to her. A minute ago, she couldn’t do a thing; now she can make things burst into flame with her mind. Such power would terrify anyone. Can she control her Talent?’

‘If she can’t, we should be afraid of her,’ said Bill. ‘I’m only glad that we’re standing beside a lake.’

Jess’s hair had fallen once more about her slender shoulders. She turned from her mother’s skirt and looked at the remains of the doll she had burnt. Unshed tears sparkled in her dark eyes, offering a clue as to what the girl thought about her new power.

‘Did you do that?’ asked Ajenda, holding her daughter’s shoulders.

‘I knew I could do it,’ said Jess. ‘I didn’t want to hurt her.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll make you another doll,’ said Jankal.

‘Something inside told me I could do it,’ said Jess.

Jack knew she talked about the demon that had entered her. It had unlocked something in Jess, giving her a destructive Talent. He again looked down at the pile of charcoal at his feet. She could set them all ablaze. Would the demon want her to do that? Her demon knew his intent, get to the Scorn Scar and kill his demon. Feeling unsafe, he wanted nothing more than to flee from the travelling family.

‘You’ve done something wonderful Jess,’ said Jankal, with enough pride to burst his brass buttons. ‘From now on, you can light the cooking fire for your mother. You can keep us warm during the winter.’

A look of concern on her daughter’s face, prompted Ajenda to say, ‘Jess, you have a gift. With it you can help your father and I. Your Talent will grow with you. When I was your age, I could only lift a single branch. Now look at what I can do.’ The smile Ajenda gave her daughter was as warm as the smoking remains of the doll.

‘I’m happy for you Jess,’ said Inara. ‘Discovering your Talent is a wonderful thing.’

‘It was the demon,’ said Jack. ‘It entered your daughter, allowing her to destroy the doll. Come with us across the Kratch, there Knell will help your daughter.’

‘I won’t take my daughter to that witch.’ Jankal’s face filled with anger. ‘You talk as though finding her Talent has cursed my daughter. What she can do is cause of celebration, not something to fear.’

‘We all have demons inside of us,’ said Jack.

‘You, with your moving shadow, may have a demon inside of you.’ Jankal smiled as he nodded. ‘Yes,’ he said through a snort, ‘I saw your shadow rush to the flame. My daughter can do something beautiful.’

‘Beautiful? She killed that doll,’ said Jack. Didn’t they see the horror on the dancer’s face? Why was he the only one who saw the tragedy of what had just unfolded?

The wood floating around Jack’s head spun faster as they drew close. Closest spun a gnarled log. Dark smoke rose from the suspended projectile.

‘He didn’t mean to upset you,’ said Inara. ‘If you can tell us a way to cross the lake, we’ll be on our way.’

‘The Kratch is wide and deep,’ said Jankal. ‘You wouldn’t be able to swim its waters, even if you had your legs.’

More smoke rose from the other pieces of wood Ajenda held in the air.

Jack felt the rising temperature. Was it the girl or the demon doing this? Yang acted separately from himself, could the giant grasshopper, which had jumped into Jess, be trying to scare him? If it did, it was succeeding.

‘Is there a boat around here?’ asked Inara, trying her best to ignore the smouldering wood.

‘There’re no boats on the Kratch,’ said Jankal. ‘Why would there be? I told you, there’s nothing on the other side worth getting to.’

‘A road or track we can follow around the lake, then?’ said Bill.

‘The country is too wild,’ said Ajenda. ‘We’re only here because of my Talent. All other families have to stick to the roads that ended miles from here.’ She smoothed her daughter’s hair. ‘If I got you across the water, do you promise not to set the witch onto my family?’

‘Ajenda, don’t,’ said Jankal, turning on his wife.

‘They’re children,’ said Ajenda. ‘The boys are only a little older than Jess. They have parents who care for them. If they have to get to the Scorn Scar before they turn back home, then I’ll help them on their way.’

‘Damn woman, the witch will smell us on them, and come after us,’ said Jankal, making Jess whimper against her mother’s skirt.